The Cryosphere
The Cryosphere
TC
Articles | Volume 17, issue 5
Articles | Volume 17, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2185-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2185-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 17, issue 5
Research article
 | 
25 May 2023
Research article |  | 25 May 2023

An evaluation of a physics-based firn model and a semi-empirical firn model across the Greenland Ice Sheet (1980–2020)

Megan Thompson-Munson, Nander Wever, C. Max Stevens, Jan T. M. Lenaerts, and Brooke Medley

Data sets

Greenland Ice Sheet modeled firn properties from SNOWPACK and the Community Firn Model (1980-2020) Megan Thompson-Munson, Nander Wever, C. Max Stevens, Jan Lenaerts, and Brooke Medley https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7671892

Surface Mass Balance and Snow Depth on Sea Ice Working Group (SUMup) snow density subdataset Megan Thompson-Munson, Lynn Montgomery, Jan Lenaerts, and Lora Koenig https://doi.org/10.18739/A2NP1WK6M

MERRA-2 tavg1_2d_slv_Nx: 2d,1-Hourly,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Single-Level Diagnostics V5.12.4 Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) https://doi.org/10.5067/VJAFPLI1CSIV

MERRA-2 tavg1_2d_int_Nx: 2d,1-Hourly,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Vertically Integrated Diagnostics V5.12.4 Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) https://doi.org/10.5067/Q5GVUVUIVGO7

MERRA-2 tavg1_2d_rad_Nx: 2d,1-Hourly,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Radiation Diagnostics V5.12.4 Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) https://doi.org/10.5067/Q9QMY5PBNV1T

MERRA-2 tavg1_2d_flx_Nx: 2d,1-Hourly,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Surface Flux Diagnostics V5.12.4 Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) https://doi.org/10.5067/7MCPBJ41Y0K6

Model code and software

MeteoIO and SNOWPACK WSL https://gitlabext.wsl.ch/snow-models/snowpack

UWGlaciology/CommunityFirnModel: Version 1.1.6 M. Stevens, H. Vo, emmakahle, and Jboat https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.5719748

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Short summary
To better understand the Greenland Ice Sheet’s firn layer and its ability to buffer sea level rise by storing meltwater, we analyze firn density observations and output from two firn models. We find that both models, one physics-based and one semi-empirical, simulate realistic density and firn air content when compared to observations. The models differ in their representation of firn air content, highlighting the uncertainty in physical processes and the paucity of deep-firn measurements.
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